IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
SlugCon 2026 is happening on May 16th AND 17th from 1-6PM at the Merrill Cultural Center + Plaza!!
Join our Discord server for news and updates on future events!!
About SlugCon
SlugCon is UCSC's annual student-run anime convention, brought to you by the Slug Anime and Manga Association! UCSC's nerd culture is showcased through panels, performances, a maid cafe, an artist showcase, and more; all made possible with the hard work of our students and student organizations. SlugCon is open to all students to attend and participate in, free of charge!
SlugCon 2026 will be our 9th SlugCon since its inception in 2017. SAMA is thrilled to be able to bring this event back to UCSC once again!
About SAMA
The Slug Anime and Manga Association (or SAMA) is UCSC's anime club! We promote the understanding of Japanese popular culture through the medium of anime, manga, games, and other forms of Japanese media. With over 2000 members, SAMA strives to create a community where nerd culture can thrive!
Matsuri Mari & Merch
Inspired by Snow and Sakura Mikus, our seasonal Mari (SAMA mascot) design contest returned again for SlugCon 2026! This year, we held a contest for a Matsuri Mari to be the face of SlugCon 2026! The winner, who was voted for in-person at our Winter Art Contest, received all merch featuring their design, guaranteed tabling at SlugCon 2026, and a chance to take a life-sized cutout home!
Our winner was Brooke!!
Here's a collection of all of the other designs submitted this year!
We also held a SAMA 2025-2026 t-shirt and hoodie design contest for our fundraising efforts! Winners received a merch bundle, including their design!
The winning designs are available for purchase at SlugCon! All shirts are $30 each, with hoodies being $50 each.
Thank you all for participating.
Artists
We had a LOT of cool artists, here are a few!
>> CHECKOUT OUR ARTIST GALLERY
We are also proud to announce our first zine! More information to come :)
θΈγθ±η«γ¨ζ / fireworks light up the sky like stars β - a slugcon 2026 artist zine
Collaborating Clubs
Click on any club for more info!
Itinerary
OUR EVENTS
βΛΒ° DAY ONE Β°Λβ
- [1:00PM - 3:00PM] Maid Cafe β by SAMA ft. Cosplay Club
- [3:00PM - 3:30PM] Intermission
- [3:30PM - 4:00PM] 404 NoSchooL β Musical Performance
- [4:00PM - 5:00PM] The Making of *Crowd Surfers* β by The Game Design & Art Collaboration (GDA)
- [5:00PM - 5:45PM] Light Up The Stage! β by Victoria Chiappetta
- [5:45PM - 6:00PM] Luka LukaβNight Fever β by hakusmile
- [6:00PM] Closing & Group Photo
βΛΒ° DAY TWO Β°Λβ
- [1:00PM - 2:00PM] Cosplay Contest β by SAMA x Cosplay Club
- [2:00PM - 3:00PM] "So You Think You Know Anime?" β Trivia Game Show by Jo Lily
- [3:00PM - 3:30PM] Intermission
- [3:30PM - 4:00PM] DREAMΓN β Musical Performance
- [4:00PM - 5:00PM] Working in Esports β By Team Liquid
- [5:00PM - 5:30PM] Damned of Eden β Musical Performance
- [5:30PM - 6:00PM] Closing Speech & Group Photo β by Tien Le
OUR ACTIVITIES
βΛΒ° DAY ONE Β°Λβ
CCM
- [ ALL DAY ] Arcade Corner β Brought to you by SAMA
- [ ALL DAY ] Student Games Playtest + Showcase β Brought to you by SAMA x GDA
Baobab Lounge
- [ ALL DAY ] Karaoke β Brought to you by SAMA
Fireside Lounge
- [ 4:00PM - 5:00PM ] "Intro to Gunpla" Workshop β by Kylan Huang
Ming Ong
- [ 1:00PM - 4:00PM ] Valorant β Hosted by Slug Gaming
Lawn
- [ ALL DAY ] Foam Fighting β Hosted by Tolaria Belegarth
βΛΒ° DAY TWO Β°Λβ
CCM
- [ ALL DAY ] Arcade Corner β Brought to you by SAMA
- [ ALL DAY ] Student Games Playtest + Showcase β Brought to you by SAMA x GDA
Baobab Lounge
- [ ALL DAY ] Karaoke β Brought to you by SAMA
Fireside Lounge
- [ 4:00PM - 5:00PM ] "Roblox Dev. and VFX" Workshop β by tboi
Ming Ong
- [ 1:00PM - 4:00PM ] League and Tetris β Hosted by Slug Gaming
Lawn
- [ ALL DAY ] Foam Fighting β Hosted by Tolaria Belegarth
Sponsors
Thank you to all the sponsors for making SlugCon 2026 possible.
TBD
Convention Planning Board
SlugCon 2026 was planned by an amazing board of student leaders! Thank you all for your hard work!
| Officers | Shadow Officers |
|---|---|
| Tien Le (President) | Chad Santos |
| Christian Abady (Vice President) | Kylan Huang |
| Julia Barbera (Treasurer) | Johannes Lily |
| Harry Santos (Event Coordinator) | Richa Limaye |
| Gustavo Gutierrez (Tech Manager) | Logan Montes |
| Rani Yeh (Social Media Manager) |
Thank you! See you at SlugCon 2026!